Category Archives: Fulton News

Families who have a child with a mental health diagnosis may enjoy an afternoon of free bowling on Wednesday, Feb. 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Lakeview Lanes, Route 3 in Fulton.

The event is sponsored by Family Education and Partnership program. Complimentary pizza and soda will be provided.

A program of Catholic Charities of Oswego County, the Family Education and Partnerships program offers support and information to parents, caregivers, and siblings of children and adolescents with a mental health, or emotionally disturbed diagnosis.

The Family Education and Partnerships program provides families with a number of resources such as educational sessions, skill building exercises, guest speakers, and activity nights.

The focus of the program is to reduce stress on the families involved by supporting and empowering parents and caregivers, and families.

According to program Supervisor Gail Cooper, the Family Education and Partnership program does more than provide information and access to resources.

“The personal touch that the Family Education and Partnership provides is what makes the program so effective,” said Cooper. “Our family activity events and our group meetings offer parents, caregivers, and siblings the opportunity to meet other families who share the same concerns and discuss their experiences.

“It’s an important part of the program as it may be the only chance that families with children or adolescents with a mental health, or emotionally disturbed diagnosis have to network with each other,” added Cooper.

The bowling day will offer families the opportunity to learn more about the program and how it may enhance the quality of their life.

“Our staff will be there to welcome families, make them feel comfortable, and discuss the details of the program,” said Cooper. “We also welcome input from each family as to what their needs are and what issues they would like to see addressed.

“We are looking forward to meeting families, discovering their needs and receiving their input as to what issues they would like to see the Family Education Partnerships program address,” added Cooper.

Reservations are required for the Family Education and Partnerships Program’s Bowling Day no later than Monday, Feb. 18 and may be made by calling Gail Cooper or LouAnn Collins-Warren at 598-3980, ext. 249.

The Fulton Police Department has a message for pedestrians attempting to walk across the Broadway (Route 3) bridge: Don’t do it.

According to the police department, the Broadway bridge is currently completely closed to all pedestrian traffic.

“This includes the sidewalk and the roadway,” a release from the police department states. “Pedestrian traffic is prohibited due to safety concerns. The sidewalk cannot be safely maintained during the winter months and the bridge surface is not wide enough to safely accommodate pedestrians. Violators may be ticketed.”

Pedestrians can use a shuttle bus service during the weekdays, which is in operation from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Saturdays, the shuttle will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are no shuttle service Sundays.

So far, most of the bridge work has been done on the southern portion. New steel beam replacements were added to the bridge in the fall.

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Oswego County Treasurer John Kruk has announced he will step down from his position effective Feb. 28.

He announced his intention to retire during Thursday’s meeting of the Oswego County Legislature’s Finance and Personnel Committee.

Now, the legislature will determine if the vacancy will be filled by a governor appointment or if they will appoint.

Legislature Chairman Fred Beardsley and Legislator James Karasek have both expressed interest in the position.

New York State County Law, Section 400, states a vacancy is to be filled by the governor.

Kruk’s term was to expire at the end of this year and will be on the ballot in the November election. The position of treasurer is elected every four years.

Kruk served as the executive assistant to the mayor of the City of Fulton until his election as the county treasurer in 2001. He narrowly defeated James Bryant for the position in a Republican primary race.

Kruk also served as the Oswego County Republican Committee treasurer and currently serves as the acting treasurer. He told the committee that he was exhausted and wanted to spend more time with his family in announcing his decision.

“This will be my last Finance and Personnel Committee meeting,” he said.

Minority Leader Mike Kunzwiler said he will be in contact with the governor’s office to determine how the vacancy is to be filled. Should it be a governor’s appointment, the Democrat caucus will likely select Kruk’s successor as the governor is a Democrat and traditionally vacancies are filled with a person of the same party affiliation as the governor.

Kunzwiler gave no indication of who that person would be should he make the recommendation to the governor.

The City of Fulton received AAA’s Platinum Community Traffic Safety Program Award last week. From left are Lt. Jason Delano, Mayor Ronald Woodward, Chief Orlo Green, and AAA Assistant Vice President John Sansone.

AAA Western and Central New York recognized the Fulton Police Department for its continued success in AAA’s Community Traffic Safety Program.

AAA’s Community Traffic Safety Program is an awards and recognition program for communities of all sizes nationwide that identify and address their local traffic safety issues.

The program considers basic crash statistics, presence of a traffic safety leadership group, programs, projects, and their effectiveness. The awards progress from Honorable Mention to Bronze, Silver, Gold, and to the highest level, Platinum.

Fulton received a Platinum Award, given to communities that not only demonstrate outstanding success in addressing local traffic safety issues, but show a clear trend of improvement over five years and/or provide data that is substantially better than the statewide data for communities of similar size.

Fulton has participated in the program for 11 years and is the recipient of five Platinum and six Gold Awards.

“AAA is pleased to recognize the great efforts that make our communities safer, and we applaud the leadership that advances the cause of traffic safety,” said Wally Smith, vice president of AAA Western and Central New York. “Fulton’s Platinum achievement is evidence of their commitment to traffic safety success.”

Members of the Fulton Sunrise Rotary Club participated in the 2012 “OCO Bowl O’Gold” as the “Rockin’ Rotarians,” and received a Team Spirit Award for their enthusiasm. This year’s “Lucky 13” Bowl-A-Fun is set for Saturday, April 13 at Lakeview Lanes in Fulton.

Oswego County Opportunities will hold its 12th annual bowling tournament fund-raiser Saturday, April 13, at Lakeview Lanes in Fulton.

“This year’s event was dubbed the ‘Lucky 13’ Bowl-A-Fun because it is taking place Saturday, April 13, 2013,” said Diane Cooper-Currier, OCO’s executive director.

The Lucky 13 Bowl-A-Fun takes place from noon to 6 p.m. at Lakeview Lanes in Fulton. Registration opens Feb. 1 for five-person teams with choice of flights: noon to 2:30 p.m. or 3 to 5:30 p.m. (first come, first served).

Businesses and individuals may donate door prizes for the raffles and silent auction, and major sponsors are being solicited as well.

“We chose the theme Lucky 13 Bowl-A-Fun because of the date, 4-13-13,” Cooper-Currier explained. “Participants will see the number 13 used in a variety of ways at the event!”

OCO holds this fund-raiser every spring to help support its programs and services.

“This year’s proceeds will benefit services for the homeless,” Cooper-Currier stated. “Homelessness is a growing concern in Oswego County, and this problem touches consumers of every service we provide.

“No home means no address, and without an address, it’s impossible to open a bank account, receive mail, apply for a job, or enroll a child in school – activities most of us take for granted,” she continued. “OCO strives to help people obtain a safe, affordable place to live and develop some stability, which is essential to overcoming poverty.”

In addition to support for existing services, OCO will set aside a percentage of the Bowl-A-Fun proceeds to build financial resources for the future.

“There is a vision for a homeless shelter in Oswego County,” Cooper-Currier said. “As the community action agency for Oswego County, we strongly support this vision because it aligns perfectly with OCO’s mission. We are an anti-poverty agency, and we fight poverty in many forms: lack of funds, lack of education, lack of resources to care for self or family; no job, no transportation, no health care; inability to afford or prepare nutritious meals, or find a safe place to live.

“Our communities have an increasingly important role to play in shaping the course of this future,” Cooper-Currier added. “Government funding continues to decrease while jobs continue to leave Central New York. We’re encountering more people in need, and we’re striving to meet those needs with fewer resources.”

Those seeking registration or sponsor information, or to donate a door prize, may call OCO at 598-4717 or visit the agency’s website at www.oco.org.

The Fulton Little League program will hold registrations Saturday, Jan. 26 from 8 a.m. to noon; Feb. 2 from noon to 4 p.m.; and Feb. 23 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Registration will be held at the Fulton War Memorial. Little League includes both baseball and softball.

Registration is open to boys and girls ages 4 through 16 who reside within the Fulton or Hannibal school district.
To be eligible for the upcoming season, a child must be at least four years old and cannot be 17 years old before May 1.

SUNY Oswego’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program this season will staff tax-assistance sites. From left are RSVP tax aides Fred Wall, Betty Talamo, Al Mosier, Julie Birtle, Bill Waters, John Lyons, Joanne Gardner, John Smith and Ellen Wahl, who is director of SUNY Oswego’s RSVP and coordinator of AARP in Oswego.

SUNY Oswego’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program this season will staff tax-assistance sites in the cities of Oswego and Fulton and offer help by appointment in the villages of Constantia and Phoenix.

RSVP supervises the annual program in cooperation with the AARP, the IRS and the state Department of Taxation and Finance. Personal income tax counseling sessions are available for all, with special attention to those 60 and older.

Oswego County residents may seek income tax preparation assistance on the following schedule:

Constantia: Thursdays from Feb. 7 to April 11, by appointment at St. Bernadette’s Bistro. Call 623-9803 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays to schedule. Lunch is optional.

Fulton: Wednesdays from Feb. 6 to April 10, on a walk-in basis from 9 a.m. to noon and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 141 S. 1st St.

Oswego: Tuesdays from Feb. 5 to April 9, on a walk-in basis from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at McCrobie Civic Center, 41 Lake St.